It’s been a little over a week since I’ve been back home from Detroit, and while I’ve enjoyed lounging around at home, spending time with my family, and hanging out with my friends, I also must admit that I really, really miss DukeEngage in Detroit. Though it’s only been a week, it feels like it’s been such a long time since I last made my daily morning walk to TechTown or last hung out on the roof of the parking garage. As I reflect on my time in Detroit, I can say with confidence that this program was truly a highlight in so many ways – I gained so many valuable lessons about the startup/business world and the work environment, I really became aware of and grappled with my own strengths and weaknesses, and I made incredible friends and connections.​My work at TechTown taught me many things, but the biggest lesson that I learned came as a result of my two closest co-workers – my site partner Raymond, and my supervisor Betsy. When I first met both of them individually, they struck me as two of the most genuine and compassionate people I have ever met, and because of them, I was constantly reminded of the ultimate reason I applied for this program in the first place – to make an impact on the city of Detroit. In the hustle-bustle of daily tasks and project requirements, it was definitely easy to lose track of my purpose, but Raymond and Betsy’s constant influence kept me focused on the bigger picture. Raymond and I constantly talked about big topics on our walks to and from TechTown like the purpose of our careers and our lives, reaffirming my desire to do something with my life that’s positive and hopefully meaningful to the world. Every day, Betsy taught me something new about Detroit and inspired me to want to do something to help the city on its upward trajectory. The work I did with Raymond for Betsy and TechTown was satisfying in the end not because we had accomplished the tasks we had to do, but because we worked our hardest to make an impact on TechTown and Detroit, even when it meant working longer hours or taking on new tasks. And I think we can both agree that despite the ups and downs, the frustratingly long days, and the conflicts and roadblocks we faced, we pushed ourselves to do more, played to our strengths, and squeezed out every bit that we could because we wanted to and because we cared. And so this program taught me something really powerful that I’ll carry with me far into the future – that through passion and hard work, I am capable of doing something good and meaningful that can help others. It’s both empowering and humbling, knowing that you are capable of really making an impact on others if you set your mind to it. ​

Me, Betsy, and Raymond!

What a throwback! Raymond and I prided ourselves on taking wayyyyy too many pictures.

​Another lesson that I learned came from my two “bosses” at CityInsight, the incubation startup client I worked with – Francis, TechTown’s Entrepreneur-In-Residence, and Abess, the CEO of CityInsight. I learned from Francis and Abess that you know you’ve found your passion when you love the work you’re doing and have fun with it, and that the best rewards in life come from taking risks. Francis and Abess are two people who have not had traditional, linear paths in their lives, who’ve taken significant risks and seen major failures, and yet they are both extraordinarily successful, fun-loving and happy today. I’ve always been someone who tends to stick by the book, attempts to mitigate risks at all costs, and seeks to plan things out far in advance, and so having Francis and Abess as role models opened up my mind and completely changed my perspective about my future career path. My work with CityInsight and at TechTown was beyond enjoyable throughout the entire 7 weeks, and I discovered that I love startups, startup culture, and the startup community and that I could easily see myself working in this type of environment. I’m starting to realize that careers and life in general are really not as straightforward and linear as I (and many like-minded Duke students) think, and as a result of this experience, I’ll now make a much bigger effort to step out of my comfort zone and take on risks for the things I’m passionate about. ​

Raymond, Francis, and I went to Ann Arbor to support Abess in his proposal to the New Enterprise Forum for pitch training. This was back in mid-June; a month later, in late July, Abess did amazingly at the Macomb Community College Innovation Fund pitch competition, and won $25,000! It was incredible to see his growth and transition over the weeks.

The weekend before the Innovation Fund pitch, the gang spent Saturday afternoon prepping and then spent a fun evening in downtown Detroit looking at some major attractions and getting flaming cheese in Greektown!

​Most importantly, DukeEngage in Detroit gave me the opportunity to meet inspiring, talented people, at both TechTown and within our cohort. With time, I may forget the details of my DukeEngage project, but I will not forget the people I’ve met, the things I learned about them and from them, and all the wonderful memories made. I’ll always remember fondly the long talks and ping-pong matches, the late-night conversations and movie nights with the gang, the countless chats with Betsy and Francis about entrepreneurship and Detroit and life, the group dinners, the Ann Arbor and Belle Isle excursions, and much, much more. Beyond the lessons I’ve learned from work, I’ll carry with me a full 7 weeks of friendships, laughter, and memories.

Our last day all together, we watched the sunset on top of the parking garage, took some snazzy pictures, and reflected on our time in Detroit!

Another throwback! We had a great time at group dinner in Mexicantown and took some artsy pictures in front of this orange wall.

Our first weekend in Detroit, we went to Eastern Market for the first time! I can't believe it's been 8 weeks since--time has gone by too quickly!

“The sun may set, but the sun always rises” – Here’s to 7-weeks of lessons learned and friendships made in a city that I’ve grown to love and will never forget!

Mabel, congrats on a successful summer. I, like you, was a person who played by the book and always sought the "safe" route. That served me well and led me to a 30- year career as an attorney, but I often wondered what would happen if I had followed my interests in other areas...would I have discovered my true passion in life earlier? Good that you got the opportunity to see what following your passion looks like...different for everyone. Someone once told me that if you are doing something that you love so much you would do it for free, you've found your passion.
How will you continue to discover your passions once school starts and you get busy with life?

Reply

Lisha Wheeler

8/11/2016 07:02:36 am

Mabel, congrats on a successful summer. I, like you, was a person who played by the book and always sought the "safe" route. That served me well and led me to a 30- year career as an attorney, but I often wondered what would happen if I had followed my interests in other areas...would I have discovered my true passion in life earlier? Good that you got the opportunity to see what following your passion looks like...different for everyone. Someone once told me that if you are doing something that you love so much you would do it for free, you've found your passion.
How will you continue to discover your passions once school starts and you get busy with life?